Tamir Rice 911 call-taker suspended

A screenshot of surveillance video of deadly police shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice.

(cleveland.com file photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Officials handed down an eight-day suspension for a 911 call taker who didn't relay that Tamir Rice was "probably a juvenile" and that the airsoft pellet gun he had was "probably fake."

Constance Hollinger faced up to 10 days without pay. Hollinger initially denied accusations that she did anything wrong, but Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams found that she violated protocol during the call, according to her disciplinary letter.

Hollinger took the initial 911 call from a man near the Cudell Recreation Center. She never relayed the information to dispatcher Beth Mandl who told the responding officers information that led them to believe a man was pointing a real gun.

Mandl later resigned.

That omission was cited by former Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty as a crucial mistake that directly impacted how officers Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garnback responded to the November 2014 call.

Loehmann shot and killed Tamir less than two seconds after they arrived.

McGinty said the shooting might have been avoided if the information was properly relayed to the officers.

Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association President Steve Loomis said the union would review the discipline handed down by Williams.

"As with all disciplinary action taken against our members, we are reviewing the city's disciplinary decision with our members and our attorneys to determine the best course of action to be taken, if any," Loomis said.

Tamir's mother, Samaria Rice, called the suspension "unacceptable" in a statement issued by her attorney, Subodh Chandra.

"Eight days for gross negligence resulting in the death of a 12-year-old boy," Chandra said. "How pathetic is that?"

Hollinger was also disciplined in July 2016 for treating a 12-year-old girl who was reporting that she was sexually assaulted in a "rude and unprofessional manner." She was suspended without pay for five days in that case.

Cleveland Safety Director Michael McGrath also handed down a two-day suspension for police officer William Cunningham. He was working off-duty without permission at the rec center where Tamir was shot.

Cunningham successfully fought against a charge that he lied to investigators.

Loehmann and Garmback have not yet had their disciplinary hearings before McGrath. They could receive more substantial disciplinary action, including termination.

Loehmann's disciplinary charges accuse him of lying on his application to the Cleveland police department, omitting that he was allowed to resign from the Independence Police Department after an emotional breakdown on the gun range.

He was not disciplined for firing the shot that killed Tamir.

Garmback's disciplinary letter says he erred when he drove too close to Tamir when responding to what Garmback believed to be an armed suspect. Garmback also was accused of failing to report the time he arrived at the scene, which is also a punishable offense.